Karimov should uphold media pledge by freeing journalists

New York, June 27, 2013--Uzbek President Islam Karimov should follow
through on his public commitment today to support his country's journalists by
releasing the unjustly jailed reporter Salidzhon Abdurakhmanov immediately, the
Committee to Protect Journalists said today. News accounts have reported that
the health of Abdurakhmanov, who has been imprisoned since 2008, has
deteriorated in prison.

In celebration of Uzbekistan's national Day of Media Workers,
Karimov today stressed the
importance of the media for the future of Uzbekistan and pledged his promise to
address journalists' concerns.

"We are deeply concerned about the welfare of Salidzhon
Abdurakhmanov, who has been wrongly imprisoned for five years in retaliation
for his critical reporting on local government and police," CPJ Europe and
Central Asia Nina Ognianova said. "We call on Uzbek authorities to release him
at once."

The independent news website Uznews
reported on June 21 that its reporter, Abdurakhmanov, had been taken to a
prison hospital in the capital, Tashkent, to seek treatment for acute stomach
ulcers, the website reported. This is the second time the journalist has been
hospitalized this year, Uznewsreported. Abdurakhmanov
also received treatment for a similar ailment at a prison hospital in late
February, the news outlet reported.

CPJ has been advocating for
Abdurakhmanov's release since his arrest on
June 7, 2008, in the city of Nukus on charges of possessing drugs that local
police said they found in his car. CPJ determined that the charges were
fabricated in retaliation for Abdurakhmanov's journalism. The journalist had
frequently reported on corruption in Uzbek law enforcement agencies, including
the traffic police.

Abdurakhmanov has already served five years of his 10-year prison
term.

Karimov has one of the worst recordson press freedom in the
region, CPJ research shows. Since
the Andijan
massacre in May 2005, authorities have virtually eradicated independent
reporting in the country through politically motivated prosecution,
imprisonment, and intimidation. At least four independent journalists continue to
languish in Uzbek prisons, their terms ranging from 10 to 19
years in jail.

In an open
letter on Wednesday, a group of U.S. senators, including Richard J.
Durbin, Benjamin L. Cardin, and John McCain, urged President Karimov to release
Abdurakhmanov, among other imprisoned journalists and human rights
activists.